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Application No.: 25/90995/B Applicant: Mrs Helen Egleton Proposal: Proposed re-roofing and formation of new window/door openings Site Address: Lower Ballavarkish Grenaby Road Ballabeg Castletown Isle Of Man IM9 4HD Planning Officer: Russell Williams Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 20.01.2026 _________________________________________________________________
C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions
Reason: To comply with Article 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.
Reason: To ensure the use of materials appropriate to the development in order to safeguard the visual amenities of the area, in accordance with policy GP2 in the Adopted Isle of Man Strategic Plan (2016).
the Department. The scheme shall accord with the recommendations outlined in the Bat Conservation Trust and Institute of Lighting Professionals Guidance Note 8/23 on Bats and Artificial Lighting (2023), or any subsequent version.
Reason: In order to mitigate potential harm to bats. This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason.
The proposed development respects the site and surroundings and will not cause any significant harm the character of the buildings or surrounding landscape and suitable protection for bats can be ensured through the imposition of conditions. Furthermore, while the proposals will result in a larger dwelling on the site, the design and appearance is considered to result in an enhancement to the site and its landscape setting such that the proposals are justified and in accordance with General Policy 2, Housing Policy 15 and 14 and Environment Policy 4 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016.
Plans/Drawings/Information; This decision relates to the following plans and drawings, date stamped 22 October 2025:
_________________________________________________________________ Right to Appeal It is recommended that the following organisations should NOT be given the Right to Appeal: Arbory and Rushen Commissioners Support
_________________________________________________________________ Officer’s Report
1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The application site comprises a detached two storey traditional dwellinghouse located northeast of Ballabeg village, within a countryside setting. - 1.2 The dwelling is finished in stone walls and slate roof. To the east of the dwelling is a single storey stone barn with slate roof and to the west is a single storey car port with rendered walls and an asbestos corrugated sheet roof.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The application seeks planning permission for the following works:
3.0 PLANNING POLICY - 3.1 The site lies within an area that is not designated for any particular purpose on the Area Plan for the South. The site is not within a Conservation Area or a Flood Risk Zone. The land is also linked to Map 2 Landscape Assessment Areas; that identifies site is within an area that is broadly classified as D8 or 'Incised Inland Slopes'. - 3.2 General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan is considered applicable, which states: "Development which is in accordance with the land-use zoning and proposals in the appropriate Area Plan and with other policies of this Strategic Plan will normally be permitted, provided that the development:
3.3 Housing Policy 15 states that "The extension or alteration of existing traditionally styled properties in the countryside will normally only be approved where these respect the proportion, form and appearance of the existing property. Only exceptionally will permission be granted for extensions which measure more than 50% of the existing building in terms of floor space (measured externally)." - 3.4 Environment Policy 4 "Development will not be permitted which would adversely affect:
Some areas to which this policy applies are identified as Areas of Ecological Importance or Interest on extant Local or Area Plans, but others, whose importance was not evident at the time of the adoption of the relevant Local or Area Plan, are not, particularly where that plan has been in place for many years. In these circumstances, the Department will seek site specific advice from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry if development proposals are brought forward."
4.0 OTHER MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS - 4.1 The Residential Design Guide is a material consideration.
5.1 There is no relevant planning history. - 6.0 REPRESENTATIONS
6.1 The following Statutory Consultees have been consulted and their responses can be summarised as follows: Arbory and Rushen Commissioners - Support the proposals DOI Highway Services - No comments.
Ecosystem Policy Team - Objection due to lack of information Detailed comments Details provided with the application indicate that the buildings (both house and barn) are old stone buildings with slate roofs, which are located in the middle of the countryside, with good connections via tree covered hedge banks to areas of semi-natural habitat and a known maternity bat roost, which increases the likelihood of bats being present. The proposed works to re-roof and install roof lights could result in the damage, destruction or disturbance of legally protected bats and/or bat roosts. The Ecosystem Policy Team therefore request that the applicant obtains a preliminary assessment for roosting bats by a suitably qualified ecological consultancy and submits a report detailing the findings, alongside appropriate avoidance and mitigation measures, to Planning prior to determination of this application. Should this assessment determine that further surveys are required, the results of these surveys should also be submitted prior to determination. Preliminary assessments for bats can be undertaken at any time throughout the year. However, if emergence/re-entry surveys to confirm bat roost presence are required then there are seasonal requirements (they need to be undertaken in the summer). Bat surveys are required to identify the species of bat utilising the property, their abundance and whether they are breeding and this will determine the mitigation required. Bat surveys should be undertaken in accordance with the Bat Conservation Trust's Bat Surveys for Professional Ecologists - Good Practice Guidelines, 4th edition (2024). Submission of survey reports prior to determination applications is in line with UK best practice guidelines, as referred to in Section 9.2.4 of the British Standard Biodiversity - Code of Best Practice for Planning and Development (BS 42020:2013), which states: "The presence or absence of protected species, and the extent to which they could be affected by the proposed development, should be established before planning permission is granted; otherwise all material considerations might not have been considered in making the decision. The use of planning conditions to secure ecological surveys after planning permission has been granted should therefore only be applied in exceptional circumstances, such as where original survey work will need to be repeated because the survey data might be out of date before commencement of development, etc."
Potential conditions:
No works to commence unless a preliminary assessment for roosting bats alongside any additional surveys recommended by this assessment, have been undertaken by a suitably qualified ecological consultancy and a report/s details the findings have been submitted to Planning and approved in writing. Should bats be found, this must be accompanied by an ecological mitigation plan which details how the recommendations within the preliminary assessment, and any additional surveys, are to be implemented on site.
No external lighting to be installed unless a sensitive lighting plan, following best practise as detailed in the Bat Conservation Trust and Institute of Lighting Professionals Guidance Note 8/23 on Bats and Artificial Lighting (2023), has been submitted to Planning and approved in writing.
6.2 No representations have been received from members of the public. - 7.0 ASSESSMENT
7.1 The key considerations in the determination of the application are the impact upon the character and appearance of the buildings and ecology. IMPACT UPON CHARACTER AND APPEARANCE OF THE SITE
7.2 The proposed development will make minor changes to the external appearance of the building, all of which are considered to broadly reflect the existing appearance, albeit some new materials will be introduced to the roofs and new windows.
7.3 The alterations to a small number of windows and doorways will not unbalance the traditional appearance of the principal elevation to the dwelling, not its character. Similarly, the means of closing up the doorways to the detached barn is suitable, with existing doors being retained in situ. The proposed door does have an overly domestic appearance and so further details of the design will be subject to approval by condition to ensure the doors are more akin to a barn/stable doorway. - 7.4 The re-roofing of the barn with new natural slates is acceptable and will not impact upon the character or appearance of the barn. Similarly, for health and safety reasons, replacing the asbestos roof to the car port with metal corrugated sheeting is acceptable in this setting. ECOLOGY - 7.5 Regarding ecology, it is noted that no assessment of the likely presence/absence of bats or birds has been submitted and such would cause conflict with Environment Policy 4 given the nature and location of the buildings. It is acknowledged that best practice guidance from the UK recommends that surveys are submitted prior to the determination of an application, but on the Island, there is no comparable legislation that prevents an application from being determined from a legal perspective. The Ecosystem Policy Team have objected due to a lack of bat surveys but have recommended conditions in the event of permission being granted. - 7.6 A precautionary approach has been taken on the Island in the past, where the possibility of bats and birds being present has not be assessed. Given the scale and nature of the development proposed, it is considered appropriate in this instance to take the such an approach. Therefore, in order to ensure that suitable protection if given to bats and in order to assess the likely presence/absence of bats within the buildings, it is recommended that a precommencement condition be imposed, requiring the submission of a preliminary roost
7.9 The application will not result in any adverse impact upon highway safety and as a result of its location, the proposed development will not give rise to any unacceptable impacts upon residential amenity, flood risk or other matters of recognised planning importance and complies with relevant Strategic Plan policies in this regard. - 8.0 CONCLUSION
8.1 The proposed development respects the site and surroundings and will not cause any significant harm the character of the buildings or surrounding landscape and suitable protection for bats can be ensured through the imposition of conditions. Furthermore, while the proposals will result in a larger dwelling on the site, the design and appearance is considered to result in an enhancement to the site and its landscape setting such that the proposals are justified and in accordance with General Policy 2, Housing Policy 15 and 14 and Environment Policy 4 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016. - 8.2 It is therefore recommended that planning permission nis granted. 9.0 RIGHT TO APPEAL AND RIGHT TO GIVE EVIDENCE
9.1 The Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 sets out the process for determining planning applications (including appeals). It sets out a Right to Appeal (i.e. to submit an appeal against a planning decision) and a Right to Give Evidence at Appeals (i.e. to participate in an appeal if one is submitted).
9.2 Article A10 sets out that the right to appeal is available to:
9.3 Article 8(2)(a) requires that in determining an application, the Department must decide who has a right to appeal, in accordance with the criteria set out in article A10. - 9.4 The Order automatically affords the Right to Give Evidence to the following (no determination is required):
9.5 The Department of Environment Food and Agriculture is responsible for the determination of planning applications. As a result, where officers within the Department make comments in a professional capacity they cannot be given the Right to Appeal.
I can confirm that this decision has been made by the Head of Development Management in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Officer has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded interested person status, and/or rights to appeal.
Decision Made : Permitted Date : 20.01.2026 Determining Officer
Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management
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